Don Beaudreau has lived at Lakeside for over 10 years. He shares his home with 7 dogs, 2 cats, and a white lab mouse. He is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister, and a retired English and music teacher. A professional jazz and ragtime pianist, Don has raised money for numerous social justice causes. He is local theatre critic who reviews productions at Lakeside Little Theatre, BRAVO! Theatre, and Bare Stage Theatre, as well as local musical performances. He has two daughters and 3 granddaughters. These poems are from his book Caught Between the Clock and Eternity. wbeaudreau@aol.com
What is the Meaning of Life?
What is the meaning of life?
Funny you should ask, my friend!
I was just pondering that myself
As I listened to Mozart
And read Emily
While feeling the cool breeze coming through the window
And dreaming of immortality.
What is the meaning of life?
Love won and lost
Each moment all over the globe;
The light and shadow play between
Who we are and who we really are;
The stunning beauty of discovered purpose
And cherished accomplishment.
What is the meaning of life?
To persevere when it makes eminent good sense to do so;
To reach out to others when the opportunity blesses us;
To forgive the unforgiving and love the unlovable –
To judge with wisdom what is appropriate for us to make our own;
And, to stay curious right until the end, ever trying to discover life’smeaning.
******
That One!
Centuries scorned, the prototype free-thinker
Stands on the abyss refusing to recant.
Beware that one, my child, parents warn from village to village:
That one corrupts!
That one consumes Voltaire at the edge of the wood,
That one dances with Darwin along the riverbank.
While the earth circles the sun,
Its people on their knees before golden images:
That one ciphers trigonometric conundrums;
That one contemplates the chaos of the universe.
While the birds fly, unaware of angles and arcs.
And while the randomness of procreation sizzles.
That one needs no reasons,
That one is aware and that is enough.
Riverbanks and trigonometry,
Randomness and Voltaire suffice.
God in a box, atop a steeple, on Mt. Sinai make no difference…
Life goes on, sputters, flares out.
And God is an old, dead, white, male thing
Whining from his perch that nobody appreciates him.
Such divine vindictiveness is not divine at all!
Of such a deity that one does not approve!
******
It’s Okay, You Are Human
It’s okay to be ambiguous; to be uncertain.
It’s okay not to know and to say so.
It’s okay to know, then not to know.
It’s okay, you are human.
You are human, like the wind is the wind,
The sea, the sea.
You are a part of the natural process,
Sometimes perfect, sometimes flawed.
So seek not a box to hide within,
Embrace the gifts of joy and sorrow,
Experience the fullness of a life
Not limited by anyone’s commandments, including your own.
It’s okay to be human, so be the best one you can be;
It’s okay to be incomplete, but carry on, anyhow.
It’s okay to be weak, but know that strength comes in different ways;
It’s okay to fail, but accept this as part of your triumph.
It’s okay, you are human.
******
20 Things Old People Can Teach You
1. Gray hair does not have to mean dense brain cells.
2. Deep satisfaction means knowing there is always another thing to learn.
3. A physical challenge does not have to mean a defeat.
4. Your attitude about your body, not your body, says who you really are.
5. Chronological age does not have to mean anything more than just a number.
6. Some of the “oldest” people are the “youngest”- and vice versa.
7. Romance does not have to mean you have arrived at an “acceptable” age.
8. Love can mean many things, some of which gain clarity with aging.
9. A satisfying life does not have to mean more and more of this and that.
10. Simplicity of lifestyle indicates a well-wrought sense of “self.”
11. Being “rich” does not have to mean “owning” or “buying” what you desire.
12. Sharing your resources with those who are less fortunate is real wealth.
13. Thinking you merely pass through this life does not have to mean resignation.
14. Being aware of the brevity of existence can heighten its worth.
15. What you have lost does not have to mean you can’t recapture it in some ways.
16. In your heart and mind, a beloved loss can be repeatedly discovered.
17. Dying does not have to mean you have been defeated.
18. Your death means you merely have completed this aspect of identity.
19. Making the world better does not have to mean ignoring what’s at hand.
20. The world is each of us at every moment, and this is a wonder and a glory.
******
If Only!
If only…
if only…
if only…
I had all the money in the world
was the sexiest person alive
was world famous
had the fastest car
the highest I.Q.
the lowest body fat
the sharpest wit
the softest skin
the highest cheekbones
the most hair
the most friends
the least detractors
the best-selling book of all time
the most understanding soulmate
the most accomplished children
the best mannered grandchildren…
but knew I was to die within twenty-four hours
what then?
If only…
if only…
if only…
******
Discover trusted local services and hidden gems with our easy-to-use online directory.
After he retired and moved to Sedona, Arizona, he taught literature at Yavapai College in Clarkdale, Arizona.
He and professional artist Bev Kephart bought a small motor home in 2003, sold most of their possessions, and traveled the U. S. for seven years. After visiting Mexico several times, they settled in the village of Ajijic, joining the ex-pat artist and writing communities.
Mel’s writing has been published online and in print in The United Kingdom, The United States, Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia. He is the author of three novels, a book of short stories, and several books of poetry. He and his wife now make their home in the village of San Nicholas de Ibarra.
- Poetry Niche – October 2026 - September 30, 2026
- Poetry Niche – September 2026 - August 30, 2026
- Poetry Niche – August 2026 - July 31, 2026
